U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,002, dated Jan. 18, 1994, to Ellis, et al, provides an inlaid tile gutter system for use in swimming pools that contains a channel, braces mounted atop the primary gravity flow channel, and stiffeners mounted on the poolside of the channel. This provides a relatively stiff gutter system capable of withstanding deformations due to excessive loading and impact. Ferro concrete material may be placed within channels formed by the vertical stiffeners to provide a support and a base upon which to set tile.
According to Ellis, et al, in the swimming pool industry it is often desirable to have a stainless steel perimeter gutter system which is capable of handling large amounts of water for filtration. One disadvantage with stainless steel gutter systems is that they have a very slippery stainless steel poolside surface. Consequently, it is difficult for swimmers to firmly support themselves along the inside pool wall.
Ellis, et al, notes that in pools used for competitive swimming, swimmers use the upper portion of the inside of the pool to turn when they reach the end of the pool during a race. Typically, the swimmer inverts his body 180.degree. prior to touching the side of the pool, and then pushes off the side with the feet. Therefore, a non-slippery surface is preferable, so that the competing swimmers may get the optimum push off the pool wall to more efficiently transfer his or her momentum to the opposite direction.
Also, competitive swimming rules require backstroke swimmers to utilize the interior surface of the gutter for the start of their races. The backstroker must be in contact with the sidewall of the pool prior to the start of the race, and push off the upper inner side of the pool (i.e., the gutter) to begin the race. The more slippery the gutter wall is, the more difficult it is for the backstroker to get a quick start, thereby putting the backstroker at a competitive disadvantage.
Ellis further asserts that apart from competitive swimming, it is otherwise desirable to have a non-slippery inside upper wall portion in the swimming pool. For example, lifeguarding classes, swimming classes, children's swimming sessions, wading, etc., would be made easier with a non stainless steel perimeter. As a result, Ellis claims it is desirable to create a gutter system which is capable of supporting a non-slippery surface within the water. Because of its slipperiness and propensity for deformation, it is preferable to have a material other than stainless steel on the outer poolside surface of the gutter, while having stainless steel for the inner gutter lining. Tile is preferably used on upper walls in swimming pools not having perimeter stainless steel gutter systems because it is hard, non-slippery, and water resistant. Typically, it has not been possible to utilize tile on the outer walls of the stainless steel gutter systems. Stainless steel is not a surface upon which tile may be successfully applied because tile cements, glues, grouts and mortars do not bond well to stainless steel. Any attempt to glue or cement tile directly to the stainless steel gutter typically results in the tile falling off the gutter wall.
According to Ellis, another problem with conventional stainless steel gutter systems is that the stainless steel wall of the gutter will flex and deform, if the wall is subjected to a sufficient force. This problem is compounded with rolling bulkheads, which use the gutters of swimming pools as bearings to support the bulkhead weight. These bulkheads are long spans which cover the width of a pool to effectively divide a swimming pool into two more separate pools. The bulkheads are capable of rolling along the gutter system at different pool lengths to change the effective pool size. Because the weight of these bulkheads is supported by the gutter systems, the walls of the stainless steel gutters will deform due to stress placed on the gutters. The problem of bonding tile to stainless steel is, therefore, compounded by the problem of the gutter walls bending and deforming due to impacts and bulkhead loadings.
Ellis, therefore, designs an inlaid gutter system to overcome stress differentials. The gutter channel designed to receive pool overflow is defined by a back wall and a front wall protruding upwards from a lower surface; a plurality of braces mounted to the front wall and the channel; a plurality of stiffeners mounted on the outer side of the front wall of the channel; and a lower lip protruding from the outer side of the front wall for supporting a Ferro concrete material thereon.
The front wall of the channel may contain an outwardly protruding upper lip so that the upper lip, lower lip and front wall form a cavity for retaining Ferro concrete filling material. The Ferro concrete material may be placed within the cavity. The stiffeners may be effectively L-shaped and vertically mounted on the front wall of the channel so that each side of the stiffener and the front wall forms a vertically extending channel. The cavity formed by the front wall upper lip and lower lip is divided into a plurality of vertically extending channels. The Ferro concrete material used within the system may comprise a reinforcing means placed over a non-shrink gout. The reinforcing means may be a wire mesh. The vertical stiffeners may contain a plurality of holes therein.
The Ellis, et al, construction has a number of disadvantages. The tile face is permanently installed in the pool wall, and cannot be removed for repairs and regrouting without having to drain the pool; this cannot be done without taking the pool out of use. In addition, in the case of outdoor pools, the tile is subject to frost damage which is also difficult if not impossible to repair, requiring reconstruction to replace broken tile.